Ultimate Functional Strength

On a gray Monday morning in February, Pascal Dobert furiously pulls foam blocks and elastic bands and hurdles out of a closet. He scatters them around a small room on the second floor of Nike’s Beaverton, Oregon, fitness center. Once the athletes from Jerry Schumacher’s Nike-sponsored team return from their morning run, they begin rotating through the stations. Dobert bounces around the room encouraging them or gently correcting their form. Olympians, American record holders, national champs—it’s a talented group collected in this small space. Evan Jager, Lopez Lomong, Chris Derrick, and Alan Webb are among the dozen working out together. A day later Shalane Flanagan and Kara Goucher, in the midst of their Boston Marathon prep, will work out with the coach.

Dobert works with the group two to three times a week, challenging them with a rotating array of exercises. “Everything is tailored toward running,” he says. “There’s two benefits to the work that we do — that’s injury prevention and also performance boost. But they both go hand in hand. [The] less often you’re injured, the better it is for your training and racing. But then you’re also stronger because of it, which is going to make you faster.”

One of the group’s core routines, which they do a variation of almost weekly, is a creative mix of kettlebells and hurdles. “This workout is the ultimate functional strength routine,” Dobert says. It builds hip mobility and strength, while also working the core. Dobert recommends 10- to 15-pound kettlebells for anyone new to strength training. For those with some strength training background, he recommends 15 to 18 pounds for women and 20 to 25 pounds for men. Set up a flight of 10 hurdles for the walkover drills. They should be set 30 inches high and about 30 inches apart, unless otherwise noted.

Beginners looking for a more entry-level workout can cut the hurdle drills in half. Switch lead legs mid-flight rather than doing two flights. Cut the weighted carries back to 45 seconds, planks to 30 seconds, and complete half of the shoulder presses and big halos.

Weighted Carries

1) Waiter Walk (45 seconds to 1 minute)Lift kettlebell, with one arm, straight above your head, with a very strong grip on the handle. The kettlebell should rest on the outside of your wrist. Your wrist should remain straight with elbow locked. Keep your shoulder packed, meaning that your shoulder blade should be held stable, pressed inward toward your chest cavity. Walk around for 1 minute.

2) Suitcase Carry (45 seconds to 1 minute)Using the same arm as in the waiter walk, hold kettlebell in one hand, arm straight down, shoulder packed, and walk as if carrying a suitcase.

3) Waiter Walk (45 seconds to 1 minute)Repeat using opposite arm.

4) Suitcase Carry (45 seconds to 1 minute)Repeat using opposite arm.

5) Walking Shoulder Press ( 5 – 10 reps with each arm)While walking, lift the kettlebell from in front of your hip to above your shoulder. The motion is front of your body, a curl to the shoulder, then a vertical press as you lift and straighten your arm upward.

6) Small Walking Halo (15 – 30 seconds clockwise, 15 – 30 seconds counterclockwise)Lift the kettlebell with both hands and trace a tight halo — a full circular motion — around the crown of your head. Your elbows should be below your wrists when the kettlebell is in front of your head and above your wrists when the kettlebell is behind your head.

7) Heartbeat Quickstep (45 seconds to 1 minute)Hold kettlebell with both hands (grasping the sides, or horns), at shoulder height, in front of sternum. As you walk, extend arms straight out then bring them back to your chest. Repeat motion as you walk.